Universal coupling



April 2 1929- A. s. MESEIROLL 1,707,530

UNIVERSAL COUPLING Filed April 15, 1924 II In 2 .I ZENTOR 1 ATTORNEY;

huu ulnnn mlllllllluliiiii)" Patented Apr. 3 2, 1929.

- orrsn STATES UNIVERSAL COUPLING.

Application filed April 15, 1924. Serial No. 706,622.

This invention relates to universal cou- 1 lin s and has for some of its ob'ects to provide shaft couplings which are efficient v in operation, comparatively simple in confollowing structure.

s truction, easy to assemble and connect, and in which renewals and replacements of parts may be readily effected. Other objects and advantages will appear as the invention is hereinafter disclosed.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate what I now consider preferred forms of the invention:

V Fig. 1 is an elevation in section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2-, looking in the direction of the arrows. t

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 01' Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig, 3 is a view similar to the upper half of the coupling member 10 asshown. in Fig. 1, Fig. 3, however, illustrating a modnfica- Figs. 4, 5. and 6 are detail sectional views illustrating further modifications.

The coupling may assume various forms within the scope of the appended claims. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it comprises the The coupling member .10 is rotatable about the axis XX and the coupling member 11 is rotatable about the axis Y Y. While thetwo axes of rotation are shown in alignmentin Fig. 1, they need not be,but there may be anyone of a wide variety of angles between'the two axes. For convenience in construction, assembly, and disassembly, the member 10'may be constructed of two parts and joined by screws 12 (Fig. 2). The member 10 may, however, be cast in .0118 piece as shown in Fig. 3. Either of the members 10,11, may

constitute the. driving member and the other the driven member of the coupling. The member 10 is provided with a plurality (six in the present case) .01 ball recciving recesses 13 each consisting of a bore or cylindrical hole having its axis parallel to the axis X'-X and terminating at one end in a ballreceiving socket 14. Balls 1 15' are each mounted 1n a corresponding one of the re-.

cesses 13 and sockets 14 and are each provided with a rod 16 rigidly secured thereto and projecting through a corresponding one of the openings 17 provided in the face of the member .10. Each bore 13 is shown provided with a screw-threaded portion, at the end opposite the ball-receiving socket, to receive a corresponding. one of six plugs 18.

Helical compression springs 19 are provided, one in each of the bores 13 and abutting the plug 18 at one end and either directly engaging a ball 15. at its opposite end '(Fig- '1) Y or engaging a sliding plug 20 (Fig. 3), which in turn engages the ball 15, being provided with a ball-engaging socket portion 21 for this purpose. I In either event,

the springs 19 urge or bias the ball 15 -to-ff ward their seats 14 butpermit any one 0 1-1 PATENT. oFFijcE.

more of the balls to move rearwardly in the bore or bores 13 when sutficient pressure is exerted to overcome the spring pressure in that bore or those bores. Obviously, by turning the plugs; 18 inlone direction or the other, the pressure exerted by each of the springs '19 may be adjusted orregulated.

Excepttor one difference, themember 11 is substantially identical to the member 10, the reference numerals 113, 114, 115, 117,

118, and 119-, applied to the member 11 desig nated parts identical to those designated by the reference numerals 13, 14, 15, 17,18, and 19, applied to the member 10 and described above; Itdesirable the'member 11- may be cast in one piece and provided with plugs such as the plugs 20 described above in connection with the member 10. It will be noted that, whereas the ballsr15 of the member 10 are provided with rods 16, the balls 115 of the member 11 are eachprovided with a sleeve 22 rigidly secured thereto and adapted 16. Each rod cooperates with the sleeve22 whlch rece1ves it to form a SllCllIlg, telescopic, torque-transmitting coupling between a corresponding pair of the balls 15 and 115.

Each of these telescopic connections extends when the corresponding balls are separated or moved awayyfrom each other from. the relative positionindicated in Fig.1, and returns to the position illustrated inFig. 1v

when the balls move towardfleach other.

Furthermore, whenthe members-1U and 11 cause any sleeve22 to-engage .a ball 15, separating movement of the balls in. their recesses 13 and 113 is permitted by the springs 19 and 119. It will furtherbe appreciated it isconnected. By virtue ofthisconstruc to: receive a corresponding one of the rods tion rotation 01 either of the members 10 and. 11 wlll transmit torque to 1 cause rota-- tion of the other of said members even though the-axeso'f rotation and YY of the two members are not in alignment.

If desirable a helical compression spring may be provided on each of the sleeves 22 so as to abut at its opposite ends the adjacent faces of the members 10 and 11. Furthermore, each of the members 10 andll may be keyed or otherwise secured to a corresponding one of the shafts 26 and 27.

The operation of the 1 0111] of invention illustrated will be readily understood in view of the foregoing description. Assume that the shaft 26 is driven by a motor, that the shaft'27 is connected to a load, and that the I axes of rotation X-X and Y-Y are atan angle to each other. Torque is transmitted from the member 10 (in this case the driving member) to the member 11 this the drivenmem-ber) through the telescopic connections 16-22 reinforced by the springs 25. As portions 01" the adjacent races oi the members 10 and llepproach and recede, the elements 16and 22 slide with respect to each other and the balls 15, 115 are permitted to move in the bores 13 and 113, ii this movement is necessary. The coupling is therefore operative to transmit torque when the axes Xr-X and YY are in alignment and also when'they are not in alignment. In short, the coupling is a universal coupling.

As actually constructed for service the adjacent faces oi members 10 and 11 are very close-together, being only far enough apart to permit shafts 26 and 27 to be slightly out of alignment without causing 10 and 11 to contact at their near edges. In operation the driving disk assumes a position of rotation slightly in advance of the driven disk, the latter being pulled along by the driving disk through the instrumentality of the rods 16 and-sleeves 22 which are under shearing strain and which are inclined in the direction of rotation to the sli ht extent permitted by the sockets at their ends. It the shafts are out of line, rods ltland sleeves 22 constantly reciprocate relatively to each 'otheras the distance varies between the faces of disks 10 and 11."

In assembling the parts, the following procedure may be adopted. Assume first that themembcrs 10 and 11 are each cast in one piece (see Fig. The balls 15 are each inserted into the bores 13, from the threaded ends of the latter, so that the rods 16 will project through the openings 17. It the members 20 are employed, they are next inserted into the bores 13 from the threaded ends of the latter. The springs 19 are next inserted in the bores 13 and the plugs '18 screwed home to the desired position. It the member 10 is made in two parts (see sliding plugs 20, it the latterare employed, may be inserted in propersequence through the unthreaded ends of the bores 13 and the he member 11 cess to any set of parts contained in a bore 13 or113 maybe readily had by unscrewing the plug 18 or 118 of that bore.

In addition to the variations above noted,

further modifications maybe resorted to. In Fig. 1 the elements 1 10, 150, 160, 180, 190, and 200 correspond to the elements 1 1, '15, 1G, 18, 19, and 20, respectively, of the preceding figures. luFig. 1, the elements 150, 180, 190, and 200 are mounted a steel cage or sleeve 35 in turn rigidly secured within a suitable bore, such as the bore 18, of the member 10. Cages 36 5),simi

lar to the cages 35, may be secured within suitable bores in the member-11. ln'l ig. 9,

the parts 1140, 1150,1180, 1190,1200, and

220, correspond to the parts 114, 115, {118, 119, 20, and 22 fore need no further description.

For purposes of lubrication theball-receiving sockets or chambers may be supplied with oil or grease. in order to supply or feed lubricant to the sliding surfaces of the rods and sleeves, a construction such as that shown in Fig. 6 may be adopted, in which the ball 15 andits rod 16 is provided with an axial bore or lubricant duct.

This lubricant bore or duct communicates at oneend with the chamber which contains the ball 15 andat its other end, through one of Fi 1, 2 and 3, and there.

or more radial outlets, with the exterior of the rod 16 and interior of the sleeve 22. Grease or lubricant wlthin the said chamber of the ball 15 may be forced or-ied through the boreot the ball 15 and rodlfi to the' exterior of the rod 16 and interior of the sleeve 22 eflectively lubricating the relativel slidin surfaces of these members! Obviously, each of the-sets of relatively slid mg rods and sleeves may be. provided with this lubricating feature. 1

In accordance with the provisions of the '120 patent statutes, 1 have herein described the principle of operation or my invention, to-

gether with the apparatus which 1 new con sider to represent the best embodiments thereoi,but1 desire to have it understood that the apparatus disclosed is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to-use toevarious features and Figs. 1 and 2) the-balls 15, springs 19, and elements in the combinations and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted and some of the features of each modification. may be' embodied in the others without interfering with .the'more general results outlined, and theinvention extends to such use. 1 If desirable, the lubricating or oil duct may be provided only on the sleeve end as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. V

\Vhat I claimis 1. A universal coupling comprising in combination, a rotatable driving me1nber,'a rotatable driven member, a plurality of power transmitting elements pivotally con nected to said driving member, and a plu'-' rality 03E power transmitting elements pivotally connected to said driven member, each of the elements of one member being in telescopic engagement with a corresponding one of the elements of the other member,

- one of the elements of each pair of "telscoping elements beingprovided with a longitudinally extending duct through which lubricant is adapted to be fed from the mem her to which said element is connected. g

2. A universal 7 coupling {comprising in combination, a rotatable driving member, a

rotatable driven member, a plurality of power transmitting elements'pivot ally connected to said driving member, and a plurality of power transmitting elements pivotally connected to said driven member, each of the elements of one member being in telescopic engagement with .a corresponding one of the elements of the other member,

one of theelements of each pair of telescoping elementsj surrounding a'portion of the other element'of that pair of elements, the inner one of the elements of each pair being provided with a longitudinally extending duct through which lubricant is provided with a plurality of ball-receiving,

recesses each of which extends in'a direction parallel to, the axis of rotation of said driving member and terminates in a ballreceiving socket at one end, a ball. mounted in each ofsaid recesses, a compression spring mounted 1n each of said recesses for resiliently pressing the ball in that recess toward'its socket, a rotatable driven mem-- ber provided with a plurality of.ball-re-' ceiving recesses each'of which extends in a' direction parallelto the axis of rotation of said driven member and terminates in a ball-receiving socket at one end, a ball mounted in each of said last-mentioned ,re--

cesses, a compression spring mounted in each of the last-mentioned recesses for resiliently pressing theball inthat recess toward itssockets, the balls in each of said members being resiliently movable in a direction away from the other member, and

a plurality of telescopic torque-transmitting connections, each connecting a ball of one member to a corresponding ball of the other member.

In testimony whereof. I hereto aflix my signature.

- AUGUSTUS STOUT MESEROLL. 

